# Phrases or words that switch off your intrest (films) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 19, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730 "2004-11-19T21:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/1 "2004-11-19T21:44:00Z")
No offence meant to any fans, but the word ‘western’ instantly switches my intrest off. I can’t find the appeal in watching a western. I am sure they are brilliant pieces of filmmaking, but they don’t ‘do it’ for me. The same goes for ‘Horror’ and ‘Thriller’. There are exceptions to the above (Western: Wyat Earp, Horror: Sixth Sense, Thriller: Err… I’m sure there’s something) but generally the rule applies. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/2 "2004-11-19T21:46:08Z")
Pauly Shore. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/3 "2004-11-19T22:02:17Z")
“Epic” or “heartfelt.” ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/4 "2004-11-19T22:02:27Z")
“Merchant/Ivory” and “Wacky”. Then again, if it were a “wacky Merchant/Ivory” film, I might go. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/5 "2004-11-19T22:03:31Z")
Western (too dusty, everyone looks like they need a bath) Romantic Comedy (uh, no) Rated PG-13 (sometimes you just gotta say fuck and flash a nipple, you know?) Timeless Romance (uh, I said no) Russell Crowe (overrated assclown) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/6 "2004-11-19T22:07:32Z")
“period piece” ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/7 "2004-11-19T22:11:37Z")
“Feel-good film of the \_\_\_\_\_ [year/month/week/decade].” “Romantic comedy.” “Incredible special effects.” Almost a sure sign that it’s going to suck ass. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/8 "2004-11-19T22:14:42Z")
“Two thumbs WAY up!” usually translates to mean middle-brow, predictable, unadventurous. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/9 "2004-11-19T22:23:44Z")
Disney. Although there are exceptions (_Spirit_), I haven’t particularly liked anything they’ve put out in the last few years. Most of it is just money grabs anyways. I wish I hadn’t gotten rid of my _Beauty and the Beast_ tape. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/10 "2004-11-19T22:30:10Z")
> [@chatelaine](#): > > “Incredible special effects.” > > Almost a sure sign that it’s going to suck ass. The ads for _Chronicles of Riddick_ DVD are actually touting the aded special effects…and nothing else. Wow. Speaking of suckitude… ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/11 "2004-11-19T22:33:51Z")
[ul][li]“Starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson”[/li][li]“Starring Will Ferrell”[/li][li] Westerns[/ul][/li] All three are guaranteed to make me zone out. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/12 "2004-11-19T22:38:22Z")
“intrest” ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/13 "2004-11-19T22:39:10Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > [ul][li]“Starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson”[/li][li]“Starring Will Ferrell”[/li][li] Westerns[/ul][/li] > All three are guaranteed to make me zone out. So a Western starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Will Ferrell would be a surefire cure for insomnia? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/14 "2004-11-19T22:45:35Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > “intrest” Yes I know, I know. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/15 "2004-11-19T22:48:56Z")
“uplifting” “hip-hop” “Ben Affleck” “remake” ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/16 "2004-11-19T22:51:40Z")
Shucks, no offense taken about “westerns;” Westerns are what pretentious cineasts contemplate. “Cowboy movies” are what they are called when one is a child and either falls in love with them or does not. Anyway, the pitch **"You’ll laugh,** (clip of “comedy”) \*\*you’ll cry, \*\*(clip of bathos) \*\*it will become a part of you \*\*(usually an esemble shot)," or anything similar might get me to leave the theater even if it’s played during the comming attractions before a movie I want to see. And “Romantic Comedy” like polite conversation, is usually neither. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/17 "2004-11-19T22:51:54Z")
Any movie that guarantees that a character will learn something about him/herself or two characters from different backgrounds will learn something about each other and thus, themselves. Especially if the characters hate each other in the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/18 "2004-11-19T23:05:42Z")
_“. . . a story about the power of the human spirit!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/19 "2004-11-19T23:09:38Z")
“family drama” BTW anyone. How many ‘Air Bud’ Movies are there? Those things seem to have taken over my daytime movie channels. ---
**Author:** ![Ezekiel25\_17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@Ezekiel25\_17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezekiel25_17)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730/20 "2004-11-19T23:12:00Z")
> [@Jayn\_Newell](#): > > Disney. Although there are exceptions (_Spirit_) Actually if you mean _Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron_ it was a Dreamworks picture, so it doesn’t attone for the sins of the Disney Corporation [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-or-words-that-switch-off-your-intrest-films/275730.md?page=2)